Friday, February 16, 2018

Clinics...Clinics...Clinics - Memorize That Word

Howdy, all! I’m sure by now you have probably heard the word “clinic” about a hundred times. The reason for that is because law school clinics give students a pretty awesome opportunity to work in the “real world” while still in school. I know what you might be thinking… “Who has time to apply for a clinic when you’re already hustling and bustling your way through classes, extracurriculars, and possibly work?” Here’s some good news - clinics not only make your resume legitimately stand out to employers, but many of them can satisfy your pro-bono hours requirement and be used for credit units.

There are several clinic options covering various areas of law at Loyola. Even if you do not see yourself working in immigration law as a career, you may find that participating in the Immigrant Justice Clinic is one of the most rewarding experiences you have in law school. Although I am not personally in a clinic, many of my close friends are. One is actually part of the Project For The Innocent and she gets real joy from knowing that her work could possibly lead to an innocent person being released from prison. Another close friend participates in the International Human Rights Clinic which has opened her eyes, more than she ever thought possible, to this area of the law. So basically, what I’m getting at is to never rule out applying to a clinic, even if it might not be in the area of the law that you want to work in after graduation. Think of it this way - even if you don’t see it as a career, Loyola provides you with an opportunity to expose yourself to different things and experiences so take advantage of that if you have the chance.